Data centre regulation in Belgium
Our tracker lists 9 rules for building and running a data centre in Belgium, national and EU, and 6 of them are in force.
Each comes with its status, who it applies to and the next date that matters. When a rule here changes, the change is logged below with its date.
- 6 of 9rules that apply, in forceRegulation tracker, updated 19 Oct 2026
- 3not yet in forceproposed, adopted or in scrutiny
- 14 Dec 2026next date, EURegulation tracker, updated 19 Oct 2026
Rules that apply in Belgium
National rules first, then the EU rules every member state applies. Status as on the tracker.
| Rule | Level | Status | Applies to | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Decree of 8 May 2009, article 7.8/1.1 paragraphs 1 to 3 (annual data centre reporting) | National | In force since 27 May 2024 (decree of 19 April 2024); current text, European database route and fine from 7 May 2026 (decree of 3 April 2026, Belgian Official Gazette 27 April 2026) | New and existing sites. Flanders. Owners and operators of data centres with installed IT electrical power of at least 500 kW; data centres used for defence, police and civil protection excluded; fine of 500 to 10,000 euros for failing to report (article 13.4.19/2) | 15 May 2027 (annual deadline 15 May) |
| Energy Decree, article 7.8/1.1 paragraph 4 (EU Code of Conduct best practices) | National | In force since 27 May 2024 (decree of 19 April 2024, Belgian Official Gazette 17 May 2024); renumbered article 7.8/1.1 from 7 May 2026 | New and existing sites. Flanders. Owners and operators of data centres with installed IT electrical power of 1 MW or more | No date published |
| COBRACE (Brussels Air, Climate and Energy Code), article 2.5.9, inserted by the ordinance of 7 March 2024 | National | In force since 1 April 2024 | New and existing sites. Brussels-Capital Region. Owners and operators of data centres in the Region with installed IT power demand of at least 500 kW | 31 March 2027 (annual deadline 31 March) |
| EED reporting, Article 12 and Delegated Regulation 2024/1364 | EU | In force | New and existing sites. Data centres ≥500 kW installed IT power | 15 May 2027, next annual report |
| EED waste heat, Article 26(6) | EU | In force | New and existing sites. Data centres >1 MW total rated energy input | Ongoing duty |
| EED energy management systems, Article 11 | EU | In force as a Directive duty on Member States; deadline not yet reached | Enterprises, including data-centre operators, with average annual energy consumption above 85 TJ (23.6 GWh) over the previous three years, all energy carriers together | 11 October 2027, certified energy management system in place |
| EU rating scheme, delegated regulation adopted 21 Sep 2026 | EU | Adopted, in Parliament and Council scrutiny | New and existing sites. Same ≥500 kW reporting population | In force 20 days after Official Journal publication, if not objected to |
| EU minimum performance standards | EU | Consultation open | Not yet defined | 14 December 2026, consultation closes |
| Cloud and AI Development Act, COM(2026) 502 | EU | Proposal, with Parliament and Council | Cloud and AI infrastructure providers broadly | No fixed date |
Belgium in detail
What the national rules say, with the legal texts.
Belgium sets data centre energy rules by region. Flanders requires owners and operators of data centres with at least 500 kW of installed IT power to report through the European data centre database every year by 15 May, under article 7.8/1.1 of the Energy Decree. The duty has applied since 27 May 2024, in its current form since 7 May 2026. Operators at 1 MW or more must also take account of the EU Code of Conduct best practices. The Flemish Energy Agency can fine a failure to report between 500 and 10,000 euros. Brussels applies the same 500 kW threshold, with a 31 March deadline since 1 April 2024. Wallonia states a 500 kW annual duty on its public service page, citing the Energy Efficiency Directive rather than a Walloon decree.
Dates to watch
The next dates for Belgium and the EU, soonest first.
- 14 Dec 2026The EU Commission's minimum performance standards consultation and call for evidence closes
- 31 Mar 2027Belgium's Brussels-region report dueevery year
- 15 May 2027EU database dueevery year
- 11 Oct 2027EU deadline under Article 11 of the Energy Efficiency Directive for a certified energy management system at enterprises above 85 TJ (23.6 GWh) of annual energy consumption
Formal refusals and bans since 2025
Verified decisions only.
Decisions on single sites
- 14 Aug 2026 Farciennes, Hainaut Regional minister refused an amended permit to switch to river-water coolingStanding; covers the change of cooling method only. Date of first press report; the decision text is not published
Decisions from 1 Jan 2025; statuses checked 21 Oct 2026.
What changed
The latest changes to these rules on the tracker, newest first.
- 18 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: EED energy management systems, Article 11 (In force as a Directive duty on Member States; deadline not yet reached).
- 15 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: Energy Decree of 8 May 2009, article 7.8/1.1 paragraphs 1 to 3 (annual data centre reporting) (In force since 27 May 2024 (decree of 19 April 2024); current text, European database route and fine from 7 May 2026 (decree of 3 April 2026, Belgian Official Gazette 27 April 2026)).
- 15 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: Energy Decree, article 7.8/1.1 paragraph 4 (EU Code of Conduct best practices) (In force since 27 May 2024 (decree of 19 April 2024, Belgian Official Gazette 17 May 2024); renumbered article 7.8/1.1 from 7 May 2026).
- 15 Oct 2026Added to the tracker: COBRACE (Brussels Air, Climate and Energy Code), article 2.5.9, inserted by the ordinance of 7 March 2024 (In force since 1 April 2024).
Questions
Which rules apply to a data centre in Belgium?
Our tracker lists 9 rules for building and running a data centre in Belgium, national and EU, and 6 of them are in force.
What is the next date for data centre rules in Belgium?
The next date is 14 Dec 2026: the EU Commission's minimum performance standards consultation and call for evidence closes.
Sources
From the European data-centre regulation tracker, which cites the legal text for every rule. Data-centre market data for Belgium.
Not legal advice. Confirm each duty against the text itself.